RG 120

After taking out all the Hunters guarding the church, I pushed open the massive arched door.

Creakkkk!

A cloud of dust rose as a loud metallic screech echoed through the space. The torches installed throughout the church flickered from the gust of wind that slipped through the crack in the door. 

The inside of the church was much larger and filthier than expected. There were countless bloodstains everywhere, and all the pews were either broken or lying scattered across the floor. But the most ridiculous part was the men gathered inside the church. Even though they were clearly aware of my presence, they didn’t spare me a glance and just continued what they were doing.

“And so, as we await the day our god awakens, we must never let go of our faith. The path of suffering is one we must pass through to find peace,” the man draped in a strange cloth stood at the pulpit and chanted. 

The others, kneeling in prayer before him, shouted in fervent voices, “Our faith is unshakable!”

“No matter what hardships come, we will follow Him!”

“O God of Calamity!”

“Ahhh, O God of Calamity!”

“For real?”

I couldn’t help but scoff at the sight of them crying out to some god of calamity in unison. Do they think my little brother is some kind of Heavenly Demon or what?

The man standing at the pulpit pointed a finger at me and spoke again. “Be proud to step onto the trial ground.”

At his command, the kneeling men all turned to look at me at once. I could feel their killing intent prickling against my skin, and in response, I lifted the corners of my lips into a smile. “Why are you searching for a god? You’re all going to die here anyway.”

From the man at the pulpit to the ones who had been praying—they were all Awakened. What bothered me, though, was how all of them, closing in with weapons from every direction, had eyes that were completely gone—vacant and wild.

‘Can’t tell if they’re under some kind of mental skill, or just so far gone from this insane cult that they’ve lost their minds.’

Either way, I had no intention of letting any of them live. The moment I raised my sword, the battle began.

Boom!

With a thunderous roar, flames exploded.

Barely dodging a fire skill, I cut down the enemy charging at me and leapt high into the air. I soared over the melee attackers swarming right in front of me and hurled myself at the ranged attackers behind them.

‘Gotta take out the ranged ones first.’

There were over ten men here just to kill me. On top of that, reinforcements could arrive from the lower floors at any moment. That’s why I had to take out the ranged attackers immediately to lower the risk.

“Aaargh!”

Slash! I felt the sensation of cutting through something solid at my fingertips. Blood sprayed as both arms were sliced off and dropped to the floor with a thud. I severed the screaming head, and the moment my feet hit the ground, I whipped around and landed a roundhouse kick on the neck of the man next to him.

Crack!

“Guhk!”

The hit broke his neck instantly, killing him on the spot. As two ranged attackers died in a flash, murderous intent erupted from every direction.

“Tear him limb from limb!”

“Kill him! Unleash your skills!”

I deflected the axe blade aimed at my shoulder and drove my fist into the enemy’s jaw, shouting, “The Heavenly Demon has returned, you bastards!”

I’m so pissed I can’t take it anymore. Did they leave rest in the hands of some brat? The audacity—this is unforgivable. These damn bastards need to be dealt with before anything else.

***

Boom! The ceiling and walls shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck.

The Director, who was checking figures on a monitor linked to machinery, furrowed her brows and looked up. “What’s going on out there? It’s been nonstop. Something happening outside?”

“Should I go check?”

At her expression—like it was obvious he should’ve done that already—the staff member quickly bowed his head and rushed out of the lab.

“You’re extra edgy today, ma’am.” The craftsman, sprawled lazily on a sofa watching everything unfold, blew a bubble with his gum. “So how long do I have to stay here? I’m going crazy in this damn box.”

“Shut it. You screwed everything up, and you’ve got the nerve to run your mouth?”

“What? Nerve? Has this crazy woman stuffed a rag in her mouth?” The craftsman, now visibly irritated, sat up like he was ready to pounce, but the Director didn’t flinch—she just sneered at him.

“If I’ve got a rag in my mouth, then your head must be filled with noodles. You think anyone’s going to praise you for the way you botched things?”

When the Director’s gaze shifted to the earring on the table, the craftsman clenched his teeth in frustration.

Just as the atmosphere in the lab hit rock bottom, the staff member who had gone to check returned.

“D-Director!” He burst in, pale as a sheet and gasping for breath. “There’s… there’s an intruder!”

“What?”

“There’s an intruder! The Hunters guarding the church have all been killed, and now the basement Hunters are trying to hold them off…”

“Intruder?” The Director’s eyes lit up with a sharp gleam upon hearing that.

Seeing her glare like she wanted to rip someone apart, the craftsman cried out in exasperation, “Come on, I told you already! Jay smashed the phone and the chip! That earring can’t be used to track this place anymore!”

“Hey. Are you sure? You really broke it properly?”

To that, Jay, who had been standing silently until now, gave a quiet nod.

Unlike the craftsman, Jay wasn’t the type to lie. If there had been a problem, he would’ve said so already—he could be trusted on this. Then how the hell did the intruder get here? And for what? With unresolved questions and a growing sense of dread, the Director frowned and turned to the staff member. “This intruder—what do they look like? What’s their rank?”

“Huh? Oh, right. They said it was hard to see his face because he was wearing a cap and a mask. But the rank… it’s probably S-class…”

The Director’s eyes widened in realization at the explanation.

‘S-class?’

S-class wasn’t something you came across every day. And if this person had come here with a purpose…

“What about his hair? Even if you can’t see his face, you can at least see the hair, right?”

Pressed by the Director’s harsh tone, the staff member broke out in a cold sweat. “I-I heard… he’s blond.”

“Ha!” The Director let out a sharp laugh and crumpled the papers in her hand.

‘It’s him. It has to be that bastard.’

The Hunter who had chased all the way to the central lab during the guild’s assault and disrupted her experiment. Recalling that moment, the Director turned her gaze to the test subject inside the glass chamber.

He came for that.

Even in the chaos of the attack, he had found his way to the central lab in an attempt to steal the test subject. There’s no doubt—it’s the same goal this time.

This is a chance. A chance to settle the humiliation of that day and find out who he really is.

Grinning as her lips stretched wide, the Director tossed aside the crumpled documents and sprang into action.

“D-Director?”

“Keep a close watch on things here. I’ll be back.”

Ignoring the startled staff member behind her, the Director walked toward the door. Just before stepping out of the lab, she glanced sideways at the glass chamber.

‘It’s just for a short while. It’ll be fine, right?’

The test subject’s condition was far from stable. Normally, he should never be able to wake up, but his physical reactions were fluctuating, like he might regain consciousness at any moment.

It had already been 16 hours since he was placed in the chamber. According to her research, it was safe up to 30 hours—but that didn’t mean there was zero chance he could wake up sooner.

‘Well, even if he does, there’s no way he’s getting out of there.’

Twisting her lips into a smirk, the Director exited the lab.

As soon as she disappeared, the craftsman, who had been cursing under his breath with a sour look, stood up as if he’d been waiting for the moment. “Shit, I’m heading out too. I’m done rotting in this hellhole. Jay, you coming?”

“…”

Jay, who had been slowly blinking, silently shook his head again.

Figures, the craftsman muttered as he turned away and left the lab without a second thought, leaving Jay behind.

Turning his gaze back from the craftsman, Jay stared once more at the glass chamber.

The test subject trapped inside was completely different from the boy who had first been dragged here. His height had shot up, and his body was now muscular and well-built—clearly a grown man, not a child anymore. Despite his large frame, his face—revealed beneath his black hair—was still strikingly handsome. He looked peaceful, like he was merely sleeping, but he had to be enduring unbearable pain even now.

Unlike the Director, Jay noticed it right away—he was deliberately delaying his awakening. To regain even more of his strength. He’d probably need a few more hours before he could fully wake.

Like the others before him, it might be better to go upstairs and check on the intruder himself. After all, if the remaining Hunters were taken down, he would have no choice but to step in anyway.

Just as he made up his mind and took a step forward—

“…!”

A shiver shot up his spine. A wave of terror hit from behind, so intense his body nearly collapsed.

Overwhelmed by the sheer pressure, he staggered, barely suppressing a groan as he turned around—and saw a pair of piercing green eyes staring straight at him.

And then—

Boom. Crash!

“Urgh…!”

The specially reinforced glass chamber shattered in an instant, and a black shadow engulfed the lab.

[Main Quest: Reunite with the antagonist (Time Remaining: 3 hours 28 minutes)]